Windjammer Flying Cloud

Date: May 27th, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE at the BVI SCUBA Organizations 2nd ANNUAL WRECK WEEK!

Premier Ralph O'Neal gives written permission to secure The Windjammer S/V Flying Cloud and sink it for SCUBA divers in the BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS!

The British Virgin Islands SCUBA Organization and the BVI Tourist Board are thrilled to announce that they are in the process of securing and bringing this 208 ft Barquentine HOME to the waters that she sailed in for so long.

Built in 1935, for the French Navy, OISSEAU DES ISLES (Bird of the Islands) served as a cadet training ship. During World War II, she posed as a decoy, spying for the Allied Forces. She was based in Tahiti. After the war, she was used to transport cargo along the Baja coast. In 1968 she joined the Windjammer fleet. She is 208 ft long, 32 feet wide and her draft is 16 feet. She weighed in at 400 tons (before charter guests and rum!)

Flying Cloud sailed the waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel with many thousands of loyal guests who came back year after year. The Flying Cloud, and the BVI, became HOME. She was retired from active service in 2002. The upkeep expenses to keep her in the fleet for paying guests was prohibitive.
The Windjammer Fleet & Captain Mike Burke have always thought that she should be in the BVI waters for her retirement, and before they ceased operations this past fall, gave permission for the BVI SCUBA Organization to secure the wreck, which had already been donated to the Trinidad Museum, whom did not want it.

Kevin Rowlette of Husky Towing has volunteered to tow her from her current resting place at the dock in Port of Spain in Trinidad.

When she arrives in the BVI she will rest on the FLYING CLOUDS old hurricane mooring in Great Harbor on Peter Island while the BVI SCUBA Organization prepares her for sinking. The VI Shipping Registry, along with the BVI Ports Authority, Conservation and Fisheries, with input from the BVI SCUBA Organization will decide on her final resting place in the territory.

Obtaining this ship truly complements our already spectacular selection of quality wreck dive spots that number at least 10 in total with the RMS Rhone, sunk by hurricane in 1867, as the Jewel in the Crown. The Flying Cloud will be another important part of that crown.

The sinking date, program, and chance to dive this historic wreck will be released as more information becomes available. As you can imagine, there are a fair amount of costs involved with this project, so fundraising and/or donations are going to be gratefully accepted.

For more details please contact: info@bviscuba.org or any of our participating members below.

Dive Stores: Aquaventure, Blue Water Divers, Dive BVI, Dive Tortola, Jost Van Dyke SCUBA, Paradise Watersports, Sail Caribbean Divers, Sunchaser SCUBA, UBS Dive Center

Sail / Dive Liveaboards: Cuan Law (Trimarine), Promenade